Liege 1613 2 couronne d'or Fr-314

Jean Elsen sale 156, lot 1143

This specimen was lot 1143 in Jean Elsen sale 156 (Brussels, September 2023), where it sold for €1,600 (about US$2,053 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"LIEGE, Principauté, Ferdinand de Bavière (1612-1650), AV double couronne d'or (double écu), 1613, Bouillon. D/ Cartouche aux armes de Bouillon, sous une grande couronne, sur une crosse et une épée en sautoir, entre deux fleurons. R/ Croix ornée, B au centre, cantonnée de quatre fleurons. 6,57 g. Très rare. Légère faiblesse de frappe. A été monté, la tranche retravaillée. Très Beau. Provient de la collection A. Symkens, 25 novembre 1991. (principality of Liège, Ferdinand of Bavaria, 1612-50, double gold crown of 1613, Bouillon mint. Obverse: arms of Bouillon in a cartouche, large crown above over a cross and a sword between two florettes; reverse: ornate cross, "B" at the center, cantonned with four florettes. Very rare, slightly weakly struck. Has been mounted and the edge tooled. Very Fine.)"

The bishopric of Liège was an ecclesiastical state in central Belgium. The surrounding territory was ruled by the Spanish Hapsburgs from about 1500 until 1699 and the Austrian Hapsburgs 1714-97. This scarce type was accompanied by another without florettes (Fr-315).

Ferdinand was the second of four prince-bishops from Bavaria. They were also dukes of Bouillon, archbishops of Cologne and electors of the Empire, all of which titles appeared in various combinations on their coins. They are as follows:

• Ernest, r. 1581-1612, archbishop of Cologne (1583-1612), bishop of Münster (1584-1612), Freising, Hildesheim and Liège.
• Ferdinand, r. 1612-50, archbishop of Cologne, bishop of Münster, Hildesheim, Paderborn (1618-50) and Liège. Never ordained as a priest.
• Maximilian Henry, r. 1650-88, archbishop of Cologne, bishop of Münster, Hildesheim and Liège. Lost the duchy of Bouillon to Louis XIV.
• Joseph Clement, r. 1688-1723, bishop of Regensburg and Freising (1685-94) and archbishop of Cologne, bishop of Hildesheim (1702-23) and Liège (1694-1723).
• Clemens August, r. 1723-61, bishop of Regensburg (1716-19) and then archbishop of Cologne, bishop of Münster, Hildesheim, Osnabrück and Paderborn but never ruled in Liège. His incompetence and extravagance ended Wittelsbach rule in Cologne.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 6.72 g, 0.952 fine gold, this specimen is 8,52 g.

Catalog reference: Fr-314, KM 50/51, Chestret 575; Dengis 1017; Delm-348.

Source:

• Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
• Delmonte, A., Le Bénélux D'or, Amsterdam: Jacques Schulman N.V., 1964, with supplements to 1977.
• Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
• ^[1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 156, Collection de Monnaies de la Principauté de Liège, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2023.

Link to:

• 1612 teston, Ernest of Bavaria
• 1612 teston, Ferdinand of Bavaria
• 1612 double teston de 30 patards
• 1612 florin d'or, Bouillon mint
• Liege (1613) real
• (1613) double patard, plain arms
• 1613 double teston, Bouillon mint
• 1613 quadruple teston, Bouillon mint
• 1613 écu d'or, Bouillon mint
• 1613 florin d'or, Bouillon mint
• 1614 demi-daler au lion de 15 patards
• 1614 daler au lion de 30 patards
• 1614 nouveau daler Ferdinand de 30 sols
• (1614) florin d'or au type rhénan
• 1614 couronne d'or
• Coins and currency dated 1613